VANCOUVER — Olympic skier Manuel Osborne-Paradis says he is embarrassed by a drunken incident during the Calgary Stampede last week and will "reassess" how he handles liquor when out in public.

The North Vancouver native, a three-time winner on the World Cup circuit, also said in an interview Friday with The Vancouver Sun that he hopes young skiers he's helped through a camp he puts on with Alpine Canada teammate, Mike Janyk, will still see him as an athlete who "does the right things."

Osborne-Paradis, 27, sustained severe road rash to his buttocks when he lost his balance after foolishly jumping onto the back of a moving bus shortly after midnight July 15. A piece of clothing caught on a trailer hitch and he was dragged about 80 metres before the bus stopped.

"I definitely had a couple," he said of his level of intoxication. "It wasn't over the top, but it's definitely something that I will have to reassess in the upcoming weeks.

"Judgments need to change … to make sure any sponsor would be proud to have me as an athlete."

He paid a $115 fine after being ticketed under the Traffic Safety Act and will face internal discipline from Alpine Canada.

A contrite Osborne-Paradis said the entire incident, including a week spent in the Foothills Hospital burn unit, was an "eye-opener for me. I could have been killed.

"My mom has been out here with me and it's been quite traumatizing for the both of us. Even though this was a terrible outcome, it's an outcome that could have been a lot worse. Every time you think about it, it makes your body shudder a little bit."

The fun-loving Osborne-Paradis — Manny to friends and teammates — has always been a bit of a character. Irreverent at times and always quotable, he isn't shy about having a good time or speaking his mind.

But he's also been tremendously good for sponsors such as Husky and Harbour Air Seaplanes, and quick to give back to the sport, particularly with his Cowboys Camp, which subsidizes opportunities for young skiers whose families aren't financially able to fund extra training. He's also done mountain bike and golf outings with kids in Invermere, where he also has a home.

"I've tried really hard in my career to put every effort left over into youth programs and trying to be a great role model in and outside of sport.

"I'm sorry that my actions [a week ago] have strewn into me being an athlete that isn't appropriate for young kids to be looked up to. I'd much rather be seen as an athlete that is honorable and does the right things at the right time."

Osborne-Paradis, who broke a leg and tore a knee ligament in a crash during a World Cup downhill in January, said his road rash has to be monitored because of the "severity of the burning," but expects to resume normal dryland training in four to six weeks and also expects to be ready for the start of the 2011-12 race season.

The skier said he talked to a lot of people in the burn unit "with really scary stories," and will return to the hospital in the future to help patients get through their recoveries.

"They didn't have a week-or-two injury like mine. They had life-altering injuries to their bodies and if there's anything I can do for them, I'll be more than happy to be there."

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